Devices for separating individual sheets to be printed from stacks of such sheets and capable of doing so with respect to sheets of considerably different thickness or relative flexibility or stiffness are known in the art. It is of particular interest that such devices have the ability to separate or individualize both relatively thin and highly flexible paper sheets, on the one hand, and relatively thicker or stiffer envelopes, on the other hand, from stacks thereof.
One heretofore-known apparatus for loading individual sheets into an office machine is disclosed in published European Patent Document No. EP-A2-01 06 801. This apparatus is intended to provide for ready separation of individual sheets and adaptation to different paper widths. More particularly, the separating elements are constructed as individualizing corners fastened to a bent portion of a swing plate which is mounted for rotation about an axis of rotation to a side wall of the sheet storage container. The storage container includes an inclined front wall surface which extends into a rounded portion, whereby the individual sheets rest on only the rounded portion of the inclined front wall surface when the separating elements are rotatably swung away for accommodating sheets or envelopes of increased or relatively greater thickness or stiffness.
This known structure is not, however, particularly advantageous when switching the rotatable swing plate between positions for accommodating one or the other of highly flexible paper sheets and relatively stiff envelopes. For one thing, the switched end positions of the rotatable swing plates are not well defined and, furthermore, significant additional clearance or free space about the swing plates must be provided to accommodate their rotational movement.